Motor-starting and safety device.



G. L. GRFEITH.

MOTOR STARTING AND SAFETY DEVICE.

APPLICAHON man MAH. 13'. 191s.

l ,290,73?, Patented Jan. 7, 1919.

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" ,En STATES PATENT OFFRE-iff AGEORG-15h13. GRIFFITH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LECTOR-STARTING AND SAFETY DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern: i

Be it yknown that I, GEORGE L. GRIFFITH,

a citizen of the United States of America, residing at v New York city, county and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Motor-Starting and Safety -Device, of which the following is a specification.

My vinventionv relates tot the starting of internal combustion motors, and the objects ofthe invention are to/prov'ide relatively Simple and inexpensive ymechanism for this ,purpose and which can-be `readily applied to motor carsnow in common use.

Other objects of the invention are to do away with expensive and complicated parts, electric Wiring, etc., and further, to provide "mechanism which will bev positive `in its op,n eration. y, i *l y p l Another obj ect of the invention is to eliminate the danger of backkick and to provide a device which will be entirely safe and can be operated by anyone.

Briefly, the invention comprises a starting pulley which is connected with the motor shaft through a one-way drive connection and is operated by a cable connected with a suitable foot pedal or the like, said lstarting` pulley being mounted .on a shaft disposed concentrically to the motor shaft. This separate starter shaftmay be the shaft or shank portion of the startin crank usually provided on motor cars and 1n which case the pulley is connected with the motor shaft through the medium of a one-way driving clutchibetwe'en` the starting crank andrnotor shaft, the pulley itself having a. one-way` driving connection with the starts ing crank. .Back-kick or reverse rotation of the motor is prevented by the provision of a stationary yoke about the starting crank and having a one-wav drive connection with said starting crank arranged the reverse of the one-way drive connections from the pulley to the starting crank, and from the starting crank to the motor shaft.

Other features and the details of construction will appear Eas the specification proceeds.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the invention embodied in practical cornmercial form. but I would have it understood that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the true spirit and scope'of the invention, l

l Specification of Letters Patent.

Appncation mea' March 13,4 191s. serial No. 222,099,-

Patented IJ an. 7, '1919.

In said drawing.:

Figure Vl vis a longitudinal sectional View of the invention 'as applied to a motor of y the Ford7 type.

Fig. 2 is a top plan'vie'w of the same with the connection to the starting pedal shown brokenv away.

Figs. 3 and 4 are cross sectional views `of the motor shaft clutch andthe starter clutch respectively taken substantially on the lines 3 3 and 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 isa broken ,sectional Viewy of the rholding clutch taken substantially on 'the plane of the line 5 5 of Fig. 1. v,

In the 'illustration,'7 designates the motor 'shaft and 8 the starting crank having a shaft or shank portion 9 journaled 4in the frame concentric to the end of the motor shaft. 1

Mounted fast on they starting crank shaft as by means of a suitablekey 11 is a driving member in the form of a sleeve 12 carrying a casing 13 surrounding the end portion of the motor shaft. Fastened upon the motor shaft within thiscasing is a clutch member 14 having a series of tapered or wedge shaped seats 15 in the periphery thereof to receive the rollers 16 vwhich form coupling elements between the driving .casl ing and the clutch member. Springs 17 are shown provided in recesses back of said rollers for thrusting the rollers outward into engagement with the periphery of the inclosing casing. This construction provides va form of wedge clutch 'y which is operative in one direction only. l i

yAlso mounted upon the starting;- crank shaft is a starting pulley or drum 18, said pulley being shownas having a one-Way driving connection with the starting crank similar to that just describedand comprising` a clutch member 19 fastened on the starting;` crank shaft as by means of, the key 11, land having tapered or wedge seats l20 in its periphery ,to receive, the coupling rollers 21 which are -adapted tomakey en-E gasrcment with the casing portion22 .of the pullev which surrounds said clutch member 19. l

Suitable means are provided for rotating the starting pulley, said means takingthe form in the present disclosure. of a flexible connection or cable 23 attached to the periphery of the drum and seated in a groove:

- eration.

The operation will be clear from the fore going, it being seen that pressure on the foot pedal or other operating Adevice rotates the driving pulley'toward the right,in Fig.

4J/r., whirh causes the clutch rollers .to bindin the seats provided therefor, thus coupling the starting pulley to the .starting crank shaft, and as saidstarting crankshaft is coupled to the motor shaft by the clutch elements l'1.6.mvorkinfgin a similarsdirection it .will 4be apparent. ythat the.l rotation .of the drum `will be' imparted tothe lmotor shaft.

If the motorshould vfailwto start atfthe first o1 eration of the startingpedal, ypressure on t te pedal is1released, the restoring spring returns the Yparts to Original position and the pedal may fthen be againoperated to turn ,themoton Thisoperation may bere- ;pe-a'tejd as' often as necessary.

The invention does not interferev with starting the motor by vmeans of the starting crank-jin the usual-way, because it will be seen that when 'thestarting crank is -operated the drive will be direct' from said startingy crank and casing 13 through the mov'- able clutch `elements y16 and. clutch member l4to the motor.shaft,the 'clutch between the Starting pulleyand starting crank shaft being inoperative under the. circumstances so that the. starting pulley is not affected when the. starting crank is beingused.

Backward rotation of the motor -is guarded against by means consistingin the present disclosure-of a yoke. attached to the frame l() and surrounding the starting crank shaft, said yoke-inclosing a clutch member 3l fast on the starting crank shaft having tapered wedge seats 32v faced inthe oppo site directionr from the clutches previously described and arranged to receive the spring Dressed clutching` rollersv 33. By reason of the fact that this holding clutch is faced to Operate the reverse of the other clutches, it will be seen that anytendency of the motor to rotate in the wrong direction will be immediately checked. l In addition to guardingtheoperator of the. car against injury this holding clutch is of value in that it holds the motor, against dropping back after having been brought up tothe point of compressiom when the foot pedal is releasedi to ta'kel hold for a fresh operation. This enables the operator with one operation of the pedal to bring the motor up to compression and then with the next operation of the pedal spin the motor over. compression point.

means of the transverse pin 34 which was formerly used for engagement by the starting crank. The holding clutch yokeisreadily applied'to the motor'frame as by'bolting it thereto, fand Jthe sleeve l2 and clutch elements 19 and 3l are rreadily applied tothe starting crank shaft asby keying said parts thereto as indicated. The starting leveror pedal 26 may be mounted whereverfconvenient and the spring tensioned returningvc'arble 27 .may be attached yto any convenient abutment.

The starting Ipedal illustrated is -of novel .construction in that-it is provided with ga `spiral cam` 26v over which .the starting cable rides, said cablebeingattached to the lower lend of the caml vsojthat in the first portion of theV stroke of the pedal this low lportion ofthe cam will lbe-eifectivefandthe levers age force will Vbe greatest and so that as the higher portions of'thecam become effective, .amore rapid movement will be imparted to thev starting'fdrum and hence. to the motor. This provides the leverage. necessary for an easy starting movement, and provides for a certain degree of acceleration after the initial movement isl begun. v The clutch connection with themotor shaft `may be .protected b v meansof I.an inclosing casing such as indicated lat 35. I claim: i

' l. yMotor starting mechanism comprising in combination with a motor shaft` a starting crank journaled in concentric relation to the motor shaft, a one-way drive connection from said starting crank to the motor shaft, a motor starting member and a one-way drive connection from said motor starting member to the starting crank. v 2. Motor starting mechanism comprising n combination with a motor shaft, a starting crank journaled in concentric relation to the motor shaft, a one-way drive. connection from said starting crank to the motor shaftq a motor starting .member and a. one-way drive connection from said motor starting member to the starting crank, a relatively fixed stopy member and a one-way drive connect'ion from said stop member to lthe .starting crank arranged tol prevent reverse moves ment of said starting crank. .l i 3. Motor starting mechanism comprising in combination with a motor shaft, a start-v ing crank journaled conrentrically thereto, a. starting member. journaled on said starting crank, a one-way drive connectionv from said starting member to.l said starting crank land a one-Way ldrive connection vfrom the .,tion, a spring operated connection with said pulley for returning the same after operation by said flexible connection, and a one- Wayk drive connection. from the starting crank to the motor shaft.

5. Motor starting mechanism comprising in combination with a motor shaft, a starting crank journaled concentrically thereto, a sleeve fast on said starting crank, one-Way drive connections from said sleeve to the motor shaft, a starting pulley journaled on said sleeve, means for rotating said starting pulley and one-Way drive connections from said starting pulley to the starting crank.

6. Motor. starting mechanism comprising in combination with a motor shaft, a starting crank journaled concentrically thereto, a sleeve fast on'said starting crank, one-way drive connect-ions 'from said sleeve to the motor shaft, a starting pulley journaled on said sleeve, means for rotating said starting pulley and one-Way drive connections fromv said starting pulley to the starting crank, a fixed holding frame and one-Way holding connections from said frame to the starting crank arranged to prevent reverse rotation of said starting crank.

7. Motor starting mechanism comprising in combination V.with a motor shaft, a starting crank journaled concentrically thereto, a driving casing carried by the starting crank and inclosing the end of the motor shaft, a clutch element on the motor shaf-t Within said casing and provided With tapered roller seats in the periphery thereof, rollers engaged in said vseats and providing a one- Way coupling with the motor shaft, a driving pulley journaled on the starting crank having a driving casing surrounding the same, a clutch member on the starting crank Within said casing provided with Wedging roller seats in the periphery thereof, rollers engaged in said seats and means for rotating the starting pulley.

8. Motor starting mechanism comprising in combination With a motor shaft, a starting crank journaled concentrically thereto, a driving casing carried by the starting crank and inclosing the end of the motor shaft, a clutch element on the motor shaft Within said casing and provided With tapered roller seats in the periphery thereof, rollers engaged in said seats and providing a one-Way coupling with the motor Shaft, a driving pulley journaled on the starting ycrank having a driving casing surrounding the same, 'a clutch memberv on the starting crank Within said casing'- prov1ded with .Vwedging roller seats in the periphery therein' combination With a motor shaft, a starting crank journaled concentrically thereto, a driving casing carried by the crank shaft and inclosing the end of the motor shaft, a clutch element on the motor shaft Within said casing and provided with tapered roller seats in the` periphery thereof, rollers engaged in @said seats and providing a one- Way coupling With the motor shaft, a driv ing pulley journaled on the starting crank having a driving casing surrounding the same, a clutch member on the starting crank Within saidcasing provided With Wedging rollerfseatsinfthe periphery thereof, rollers engaged injsaid seats and means for rotating the starting pulley, a yoke surrounding the shank of the starting crank, a clutch member on ,the starting crank Within said yoke and provided with roller seats tapered reversely to the roller seats aforementioned, and rollersengaged in said latter reversely disposed seats.

1'0. Motor starting mechanism comprising in combination with a motor shaft, a

starter shaft disposed concentrically thereto,

a casing on said starter shaft surrounding the end of the motor shaft, a clutch member on the motor shaft Within said casing, one- Way clutchingl'elements between said casing and said clutch member, a starting pulley rotatably engaged on the starter shaft, a clutch member on the starter shaft, one- Way clutching elements between said pulley and said clutch member on the starting shaft, and means for rotating said starting pulley.

11. Motor starting mechanism -comprising in combination with a motor shaft, a starter shaft disposed concentrically thereto, a casing on said starter shaft surrounding the end of the motor shaft, a clutch member on the motor shaft Within said casing, one-Way clutching elements between said casing and said, clutch, member, a starting pulley rotatably engaged on the starter shaft, a clutch member on the starter shaft, one-Way clutching elements between said pulley and said clutch member on the starter shaft, and means for rotating said starting pulley comprising a starting cable engaged with the pulley for rotating the same in one direction, and a spring tensioned return cable engaged with the pulley for rotating it in the reverse direction.

12. Motor starting mechanism comprising fio Yin'combinationwith@nimfshfm sif'ter Shaft disposed concentrlcally"therelaoQa casing on' sd'staiter Shaft' surrounding the end of the vmotor shui-tje clutch member on the vmotoi lshaft; Within .saidcas1ng,'one wey 'clutching 1 elements between' Emiel/@51mg und said 'clutch 4 memberfaf-Sta-ifting pulley ndmeans or't'otziting Suid Starting pulley,

Se vholding yoke aboutthe 'Starten-shaft, e

connectonlbyetwe'en Suid yoke end Saidl last 'Copies of thi paten't may b'e' obtained'for mentioned" clufch' member for p'eventig reverse rotation of the starter shaft.

13. Motor starting mechanism compring in combination with a motor shafu'a start` yr1g,f""sl1aft concentric thereto, a member car- .j'ried-by theetartng shaft and vsurrounding the endof themotor shaft', a o nevvy dif'- ing clut'chfb'etwfeen sjiid'f'suirouding mr- "ben-ndfthenoto Shft;y a sibaiitz'vg membei enge-ged' on the 'starting Shaft, a one'- -Way dryng clutch between Said lmember ind-the sta-icing "shaft, and a 'protective 'housing' carried 'by said member" vand cover'- "ingt-he clutchconnectlon between the motor -l shaft and the member on the starting "shzih lGEO'Q'L. GRIFFTH.

live cents egch; b'y addressing 'the Commissioner of Patents, Washmgfom. C. 

